There were so many sub-plots in Wednesday night's
Sharks - Blackhawks contest that it was easy to forget there was actually a
game to be played. Facing the Blackhawks for the first time since being ousted
from last spring's Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Sharks had a few debts to settle.
Sharks netminder Antti Niemi was also facing his former team since he was let
go because of salary cap issues last summer.

San Jose let out their
frustrations early with a physical game rarely seen at HP Pavilion, then put a
flurry of pucks past former Dallas Stars netminder Marty Turco in a 5-2
victory.

There was no mistaking the physicality exerted by the Sharks
from the opening faceoff. Ryane Clowe would draw a boarding penalty just 56
seconds into the game and the tone was set. Even Patrick Marleau got in on the
act, nailing Jack Skille with a hip check not seen in San Jose since Kyle
McLaren left town.

The Sharks opened the game's scoring by outworking
their opponent in the Chicago zone. Devin Setoguchi intercepted a centering
pass between the circles, then whiffed on a shot attempt that slid the puck
over to Joe Thornton. The Sharks centerman circled around the back of the
Blackhawks net and sent a backhand pass to Dany Heatley, who deposited his 8th
goal of the season past Marty Turco.

The Sharks fourth liners would
extend San Jose's lead to 2-0 at 2:37 of the 2nd period. Mayers, rookie John
McCarthy and Scott Nichol teamed up to pound a goal past Turco after the Sharks
grinders out-hustled the Chicago defense to the puck. Nichol drew two defenders
over to the left corner, before doubling back to the goal. McCarthy grabbed a
loose puck two strides outside the left post, before sliding a pass back to
Mayers for the one-time chance. It was Mayers first tally as a Shark.

It would take the Blackhawks fourth line to get Chicago on the board, coming 31
seconds after Mayer's goal. Jake Dowell was credited with the score after
driving on net and deflecting his own shot with a skate past Niemi. Doewll
tried to feed Skille who was crashing the net, but the puck pin-balled off
Skille's skate then Dowell's before slipping inside the left post.

Joe
Pavelski would answer Dowell's goal 90 seconds later on the power play after
Dave Bolland was sent off for cross checking. The Sharks centerman intercepted
a clearing attempt by Duncan Keith at the blueline then sent a 60-foot wrist
shot from the top of the right circle past Turco for his 7th goal of the
season.

San Jose got themselves into a little hot water midway
through the period when Scott Nichol was sent off for roughing, and Torrey
Mitchell followed him to the box a minute later. The Sharks did a nice job of
keeping the league's 3rd ranked power play form taking advantage of the
abridged 5-on-3 by moving the puck between the three skaters on the ice.

Chicago cut the San Jose lead back to a single goal 4 minutes into the
3rd period when Patrick Shark deflected a long slap shot by Nick Boynton. The
redirection crossed up Niemi, catching the top left corner of the net. The goal
was Sharp's 13th of the season.

Dowell committed the first penalty of
the period, heaving the puck over the glass for a delay of game penalty. San
Jose would cash in when Thornton hit Patrick Marleau in stride as the speedy
forward entered the Chicago zone. Marleau crossed up Jason Cullimore and got a
step on him, before snapping his 9th goal of the season past Turco for the 4-2
lead.

Bryan Bickell sealed the Blackhawks fate by taking a holding
penalty with 4:49 to play, then taking on another two minutes for chirping at
the referees.

Marleau would tack on an empty net goal with 2.7 seconds
left in regulation after beating former Sharks deenseman Brian Campbell to a
loose puck.

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